Joseph L. Roberts Jr.
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Joseph L. Roberts Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Church | Ebenezer Baptist Church |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 17, 1935 Chicago (Illinois), U.S. |
| Died | February 15, 2015 (aged 79) |
| Denomination | Baptist |
| Spouse | Esther Wortham |
| Children | 3 |
| Occupation | Pastor |
| Alma mater | Knoxville College Union Theological Seminary Princeton Theological Seminary |
Joseph L. Roberts Jr. (February 17, 1935 - February 18, 2015) was an American Baptist pastor. He was the senior pastor of Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church from 1975 to 2005.
Biography[edit]
He was born in Chicago (Illinois) on February 17, 1935.[1] He studied at Knoxville College and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in 1956, then he studied theology at the Union Theological Seminary and obtained a Master of Divinity.[2] He also studied theology at Princeton Theological Seminary and obtained a Master of Theology.
Ministry[edit]
He served in the administration of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America and also served as pastor of Weequahic Presbyterian Church in Newark, New Jersey.[3] Subsequently, he became pastor at Elmwood United Presbyterian Church in East Orange, New Jersey.
In 1975, he became senior pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.[4] He founded a ministry for teenage mothers, tutoring programs and a food cooperative.[5] During his ministry, the church welcomed more than 2,000 new members, which caused him to plan the construction of a new building including a 1700-seat auditorium, opposite the old one, whose dedication took place in 1999.[6]
He left his position as senior pastor in 2005.[7]
Personal life[edit]
He married Esther Wortham and had three children.[8] He died on February 15, 2015.[9]
Awards and honors[edit]
He has received 5 Doctorates of Divinity (honorary doctorates) from the following universities: Johnson C. Smith University, Interdenominational Theological Center, Morehouse College, Franklin College (Indiana) and Kalamazoo College.[10]
References[edit]
- ^ The HistoryMakers, Reverend Dr. Joseph L. Roberts, thehistorymakers.org, USA, September 14, 2007
- ^ Elizabeth Montgomery, Rev. Joseph Roberts, 79: King successor helped church grow, reach out, ajc.com, USA, February 18, 2015
- ^ Elizabeth Montgomery, Rev. Joseph Roberts, 79: King successor helped church grow, reach out, ajc.com, USA, February 18, 2015
- ^ Paul Finkelman, Encyclopedia of African American History, 1896 to the Present: From the Age of Segregation to the Twenty-first Century Five-volume Set, Oxford University Press, UK, 2009, p. 119
- ^ Elizabeth Montgomery, Rev. Joseph Roberts, 79: King successor helped church grow, reach out, ajc.com, USA, February 18, 2015
- ^ Kevin Sack, A New Place to Nourish One Dreamer's Legacy, nytimes.com, USA, March 8, 1999
- ^ Mark Juergensmeyer, Wade Clark Roof, Encyclopedia of Global Religion, Volume 1, SAGE, USA, 2012, p. 324
- ^ The HistoryMakers, Reverend Dr. Joseph L. Roberts, thehistorymakers.org, USA, September 14, 2007
- ^ Elizabeth Montgomery, Rev. Joseph Roberts, 79: King successor helped church grow, reach out, ajc.com, USA, February 18, 2015
- ^ Kalamazoo College, Joseph Lawrence Roberts, Jr. Honorary Degree Citation, kzoo.edu, USA, June 1992